


Queen of Many Crown

by AyyanaJay



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gift Giving, Sugar and spice, burdens, relaxing bath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyyanaJay/pseuds/AyyanaJay
Summary: The burden of the relief effort after the great war weighs heavily on Byleth. Carrying out the crowned duties of both the Archbishop and the Queen of Faeghus leaves her little time for anything but paperwork. She hasn't even seen Dimitri in between her travels and meetings the last few weeks. But when relief comes at last, she's surprised by a visit from her Beloved, and is reminded that some burdens are worth bearing.An intimate short piece that captures some sweet moments between Byleth and Dimitri.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Queen of Many Crown

The room was quiet except for the occasional shuffle of papers as Byleth read through the daunting legislation before her, brows knitted in concentration. The Church official seated on the other side of her work desk silently picked at his fingers as he waited for the new Archbishop’s signature of approval. 

With a heavy sigh, Byleth tapped the papers into order and slid them over to the official.

“I can’t sign this as it is. Donations to the Church are already exempt of taxes, we can’t issue further exemptions just because a Noble tithes.”

The official huffed. “With the war relief effort underway, we need to encourage more tithes to the Church. This legislation will incentivize--”

“Nobles don’t need more incentive, they need more conviction.” Byleth steepled her fingers and fixed the official with a soul-stripping gaze she’d learned from Rhea. “I’ve spent the last week cross-referencing Church tithing records with territory finances and do you know what I’ve discovered?”

The official held her gaze with a set frown on his face, but a bead of sweat betrayed his cracking nerves. 

“The top tithing territories with the largest tax cuts have the greatest number of complaints about poverty amongst commoners. There’s little evidence of that money being circulated back within their territory to revitalize their local economy. Until I see evidence of this changing, there shall be no further exemptions. In fact if I see this back on my desk again, I will be issuing tax increases to help ease the burden of the relief effort until significant improvements have been made.” She paused, gaze narrowing. “Have I made myself clear?”

Scowling, the official dared to meet her eyes in defiance. However, between her earlier lack of emotions and her recent promotion into political authority, Byleth just so happened to excel in unblinking, unnerving gazes. It didn’t take long for the official to lower his head in defeat, gather his papers, and storm out of her office in a huff. He nearly collided with Seteth in the doorway.

Seteth raised an eyebrow and stared after the retreating official until the man disappeared down the hallway. “That looked like it went poorly.”

“Poorly for him.” Byleth heaved a sigh, rubbing her temple. “As if worrying about the movements of the Slitherers and the Empire remnants aren’t enough, now I have to worry about corrupt officials using this as an excuse to prey on their own people.”

Seteth let out a bitter chuckle. “Sadly that is nothing new. But you seem to be rising to the task admirably.”

Not for the first time this week, Byleth wondered how she went from a Mercenary swinging a sword on the battlefield to a government official signing documents all day. Wearing both the crown of sainthood and the crown of the monarchy was a taxing burden that weighed heavily on her shoulders. Today was definitely one of those days where she missed the thrill and simplicity of a good fight. 

Seteth approached her desk, hands clasped behind his back. He cleared his throat gently. “Permission to speak freely, Your Grace?”

She eyed him. “Of course, you can always speak your mind around me.”

“You look quite exhausted.” His eyes flicked from the dark circles under her eyes to the slouching posture that was uncharacteristic of her. 

She gave a small sigh and straightened in her high-backed chair. “It’s just been a long week.”

“Indeed.” He glanced at the stacks of documents still lining the corners of her desk. “Why don’t you let me take on some of these? If there is anything amiss or requiring your personal attention I will let you know.”

A break  _ did  _ sound tempting. “I should really keep working on these…”

“I regularly assisted Rhea with official paperwork and, with all due respect, I can do so quite efficiently.”

Byleth chuckled. “Is that your way of saying I fumble my way through it as best I can but I should leave it to a professional right now?”

“In... not so many words,” Seteth gave a wry smile. “But it was also my duty to make sure the Archbishop didn’t burn herself out. I’m merely suggesting you take a break.” He lowered his voice and added, “As a concerned friend.”

Byleth had to admit the sight of all this paperwork was making her sick. The hours had passed her by without pause for food or distraction, and it was already late afternoon. Tea and a warm bath sounded heavenly. 

“Thank you, Seteth.” She pushed out of her chair and stretched for a long moment, feeling life flow back through her numbed limbs. “I truly appreciate all you do.”

He nodded, a warm crinkle in his eyes. “We can reconvene tomorrow. I’ll get started where you’ve left off.”

She clasped his shoulder in affection as she passed by, and gratefully headed for her chambers. 

* * *

She was all too happy to shed the mantle and crown of the Archbishop and flop down into her plush bed. She didn’t even bother to finish undressing, which would of course leave wrinkles and earn her a lecture later. But that would be tomorrow’s problem. 

Putting a hand up to her face, she rubbed her tired eyes. She must have looked haggard for Seteth to dismiss her so thoroughly. As Queen  _ and  _ Archbishop, the paperwork seemed never ending these days. Her previous week had been spent digging through Church records at Garreg Mach, and this week she had returned to the Capital to resume sorting out her mounting Kingdom legislation. She’d barely even seen Dimitri, and his absence weighed on her. Perhaps she could steal him away for a meal later...

The sunlight filtering in through the ornate window panes was deep and golden, signalling the lateness of the day. There were just a few short hours left before nightfall. After a brief rest she’d send for an attendant to draw a bath. The soft bedding was simply too inviting right now.

A soft knock on her chamber door startled her. Groaning inwardly, she dragged herself up out of her comfortable daze and quickly smoothed out the wrinkled lace of her stockings. 

“Who is it?”

There was a brief pause before a low voice replied, “It’s me, Beloved.”

Her heart fluttered at his voice, and the dull aching for his company she’d suppressed earlier filled her chest again. Without straightening out the rest of her clothes, she hurried over to the door and swung it open. 

Dimitri’s warm smile greeted her, his cool blue eye staring fondly down at her. Byleth wanted to tackle him into an embrace, but his arms were currently wrapped around...something. He was carrying an oddly shaped gift of sorts, or at least she assumed it was a gift due to the uneven yet festive blue paper enveloping it. 

He noticed her gaze and blushed, ducking his head abashedly. “I know you’ve had a long few weeks of business, so I thought you could use a distraction.”

She beamed and waved him into the room, shutting the doors. Dimitri stood rather awkwardly in the center of the room, then held out the package to her. He looked equal parts pleased and embarrassed.

Byleth eagerly accepted his gift. It was light and she could tell it was soft under the crinkling paper. 

“I wrapped it myself,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, “which explains why it’s a bit…”

“It’s charming,” Byleth chuckled, gently pulling at the crooked paper seams to unwrap it. The paper peeled away, revealing a stuffed plush of a lion. It had button eyes, one of which was covered by a small eye patch, and a glossy blue ribbon around its neck. A small silver charm engraved with the Crest of Blaiddyd hung from the ribbon’s bow. It brought a smile of delight to her face at once.

“This might seem silly but, I thought it could keep you company while you’re away.” Though Dimitri seemed hesitant about giving her a potentially childish gift, his heartfelt intent was evident in every customized detail of the plush. 

“Dimitri…” she breathed, still admiring the craftsmanship of her new companion. “I adore it!” 

“I’m relieved!” His face lit up with boyish delight. “It was a bit of a spur of the moment idea, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind.”

Hugging it to her chest, Byleth was suddenly reminded of the small stuffed animal Bernadetta had once given her back in their Academy days. It was a tiny expressionless bear that had sadly disappeared after the initial fall of Garreg Mach. Byleth had vainly hoped some child had found it and taken it home, rather than the more likely fate it had suffered being crushed under soldier’s boots or discarded by looters.

Nuzzling her cheek into the lion’s soft, fluffy mane brought her inexplicable comfort. The softness was soothing, and she knew it would always bring Dimitri to mind. “Where did you get this cute little guy?”

“You might recognize the plush maker,” Dimitri chuckled. “I was inspired to commission this on my last visit to the Empire, to the Varley territory.”

“Wait,” Byleth held the stuffed animal back out to admire the stitching. “Did Bernadetta make this?” 

“She did indeed! Although she was quite mortified I spied her collection of hand sewn animals at first.”

Byleth laughed. “I’m surprised she didn’t faint on the spot or kick you out!”

“She made every imaginable excuse, of course, but finally admitted that they kept her company when she had to leave on political tours or when Raphael left on visits back home. She showed me the stuffed bear she sewed in honor of Raphael and it was massive.” Dimitri laughed light heartedly. “It certainly evoked the image of him right away.”

Byleth ran her fingers along the ribbon. “This is definitely your likeness in stuffed animal form.” Giving it a loving squeeze, she set it down on her bed.

“Thank you, love.” She finally leaned into his embrace, as she’d been dying to do, and he held her tight. She let his warmth envelope her, savoring their closeness. Dimitri nuzzled his nose into the top of her head, breathing in her scent, though she was quite sure she was in need of a bath. 

Speaking of which…

She pulled back just enough to lean up and plant a kiss on his lips. They were dry and rough but deliciously warm, and oh how she’d missed this. “I was going to have a bath drawn, care to join me?” She reached up and brushed away a flake of dry skin on his nose. “You look like you’ve neglected your self care, too.”

“I suppose we both need to do better.” Dimitri carefully ran his thumb along the dark circles under her eyes. “It’s been a long two weeks apart.”

* * *

Byleth had given careful instructions of the bath she wanted prepared. A romantic soak with her husband was going to be the highlight of her day. As cozy candlelight lit the washroom in a flickering glow, she sat at the dressing table and carefully peeled off her stockings. She’d thought about a more playful tease of letting Dimitri do the honors of undressing her, but with how dry and clumsy his hands were, he’d likely tear the delicate lace, and she’d rather not have her leggings replaced again so soon after the last pair.

Staring at her face in the mirror, she realized her skin really had become worn and dull. She picked at a dry spot to the side of her own nose. She’d never cared about such things, but now that she was the actual face of the Church, she had to be more conscientious.

“It smells amazing in here,” Dimitri exclaimed, finally joining her after he’d disrobed. 

Byleth smiled and once again got up and snuggled into his arms. There was nothing quite as comforting and satisfying as the feel of his skin on hers. 

“I missed you,” he breathed, hugging her tighter. His arms were as solid and secure as ever. A safe place. Letting the heat from his embrace wash over her, she pressed a lingering kiss to his chest. They stood crushed against one another for several heartbeats, enjoying the simple intimacy of the moment. 

Reaching up, Dimitri combed his fingers through her hair then cupped her face. He leaned down and Byleth raised up on her toes to meet him in a passionate kiss. Their lips moved in an intimate dance, expressing depths of emotion words could not. The warmth of his breath was intoxicating, and her mouth parted so his searing tongue could slide along hers. Shifting, his hands left her face and glided down her back. She shivered, her skin prickling at the roughness of his touch, but she wrapped her arms around his neck, eager for more. His hands continued roaming, down the crook of her back and along the fullness of her backside. Their exchange of loving kisses was quickly turning into heated pants and sighs. Bringing a hand around to slide up her stomach, the other continued down to--

She flinched ever so slightly when he brushed a sensitive area. 

“Love, your hands are rough as dragon skin,” her cheeks heated as she gave an awkward giggle.

“Ah,” he drew his hand away, face reddening even deeper than hers. He looked away in embarrassment, still breathing heavily. 

She chuckled, and gently drew his face back toward her. Leaning up she smooched a fond kiss on his nose. “Can we continue this after our bath? I don’t want it to get cold, after all.”

He cleared his throat. “Of course.”

She felt bad denying him in the heat of the moment, but it would be so much better after a moisturizing soak. She clasped his hand as she gingerly climbed into the monarch-sized tub basin. 

Dimitri looked quizzically at the specially prepared bath. “Um, love, I’m delighted to join you, but why is the water yellowish green?”

Laughing, Byleth gave the water a playful splash. “I asked for tea leaves, lavender, and chamomile petals to be added when it was drawn. Plus a bit of goat’s milk.” Small, bright yellow petals and purple buds floated across the surface of the tea-stained water.

“That explains the scent,” he smiled. Though Byleth thought he looked a bit skeptical at first, once he sank down into the tub he exhaled a long sigh of relief. “This feels divine.”

She scooted over to rest against him and sighed in mutual contentment. Closing her eyes, she let her senses fill with the slightly herbal scent of the flower petals and the relaxing richness of the lavender. The slick heat of her lover’s skin against hers and the slow rising and falling of his chest beneath her. The cozy flickering glow of the candles and the gentle lapping of the water against the lip of the basin. It was an oasis of peace amidst the sea of chaos. 

Quiet moments like these made the burden worth bearing. To some she was the Holy Archbishop, crowned with glory and tasked with leading Fodlan’s future. To others she was Her Grace, Queen of Faerghus, crowned with aiding in the restoration of her war torn nation. She’d born many titles in her life. But the one title that brought her joy was the simplest one of all:  _ Beloved _ . 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my "Merry Christmas" Dimileth idea. It's a quiet little intimate piece, my favorite kind to write, heh. I wanted to explore a snapshot from Byleth's life after she suddenly becomes Archbishop and Queen in one fell swoop. As glamorous as that sounds, realistically I imagine it would involve a lot of boring politics and paper pushing. Her and Dimitri would likely have to spend a great deal of time apart, so how would they cope? I hope you enjoy the simplicity and leave with a bit of warm fuzzies :)


End file.
